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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · deal · stick · cap · court · arm · staff · capital

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. staff — employees
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. cap — a lid
  7. staff — employees
  8. cap — a hat
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. capital — money
  12. court — for sport
  13. staff — a stick
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. court — of a king
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. cell — a phone
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. court — of law
  23. capital — a city
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com